By Amanda Flinn

Do you need help trusting God with your kids? I have encouragement for you today from my own story as a mom of three.

Trusting God With Your Kids

As a parent of three boys, there are all kinds of things I pray about, like these:

• “Lord, please keep them safe.”
• “Help them make good decisions.”
• “Give them good friends.”
• “Keep them from drugs.”
• “Protect their relationships and their hearts.”

In essence, I’m covering my bases. At ages 7, 13, and 17, these prayers cover a wide variety of issues — everything like skinned knees and broken arms to heartbreak and life-changing catastrophes. Some days they are specific to the current parenting challenge, but other times I’m praying about their future. 

Daily prayers are needed, because right before my eyes they seem to be turning into these older versions of themselves that will one day soon be leaving the nest. 

Take yesterday for instance. On the basketball court, as we played a game of around-the-world, I could imagine the two oldest boys at ages 20 and 24. It was as if I had a short glimpse into the men they are becoming. Their laughter, their friendship, their brotherly banter; it was so cool to see. 

And as much as this image made me smile, it also made me wonder —

Have I prepared them to be on their own? Do they know what it means to truly follow Jesus? Have I given them the tools to fight back against the temptations and trials of this world that may try to come against them?

In all my questioning and wondering, God said, “Trust me.” 

How We Can Trust God With Our Kids

Unlike me, God has known each of my kids since before they were born. He knit them together in my womb. He knows the number of hairs on their heads. And every day of their lives have been recorded in his book.

Not only that, he knows the current condition of their hearts, including the raw, real stuff they would never tell their momma. He knows their sin and their struggle and the secrets they keep. He chose to save them anyway.

Because God created their whole stories, he knows their future selves. He has a plan and a purpose for each of them and is constantly pursuing their souls. More important than the college they choose, the career they dive into, or the women they will marry — God’s got them for the long haul.

I can trust him with all of that. 

As their mom, of course I want the best for them. But the best doesn’t always mean safety and protection. The best for them is to know and love the Lord. Sometimes that comes through tragedy and trial. It’s in the discomfort that they’ll grow and through that growth, they’ll learn to depend on the Lord.

Isn’t that what we truly want for our kids? 

We want them to know that when things get tough, and even when we’re not around, they will know to whom they can turn. They will know in whom to place their hope. As parents, we can’t possibly know what the future holds for each of our kids, but we can teach them to know the one who holds it. 

So, here is my new favorite prayer, which you are welcome to borrow. 

“Lord, I know you are good, both for me and my kids. Help me to show them what a life with you looks like. Help me to hold them loose and trust you with every step of their care. Thank you for creating and pursuing them. I don’t want to stand in your way. I know that in their lifetime, they will find many things to love. But above everything else, I pray they love you most.”

Wife Step: Pray for your kids daily and trust God to do the rest. 

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